And relax

After the storm yesterday, I was hoping that life would have quietened down today. I rang Lyssa's school and talked to the teacher about bullying; I made sure I spoke quietly around her, feeling like I was walking on egg-shells - and I was right to feel like that.

There was a secondary blow-out of the volcano that is my eldest daughter.

When she had gone off to her cave of teenage angst (also known as her bedroom) I lit an incense stick and played on my videogame (obviously as research, not stress relief). The sweet smell of the incense made me feel relaxed and remind me of being at the Buddhist temple, whilst I explored 15th Century Rome.

I like the game I ma playing at the moment as reseach (no seriously, it is research) Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood has its base in history. As I wander round the virtual representation of Rome, I can follow my path (albeit in a basic way) on Google Maps. Not literally every street is represented, but enough to allow me to use a real map to explore a fictional space. I am also able to explore fairly accurate representations of the Colosseum and other major landmarks and how they were used in the 15th Century. There are also a number of historical characters in the game, which I can interact with - and while the interactions might not be real history, there is a certain thrill to being able to 'talk' to Leaonardo Da Vinci and Macchiavelli!